Boat propulsion means



Nov. 13, 1945. c. H. SAWYER BOAT PROPULSION MEANS Filed Jun 14, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Nov. 13, 1945.

BOAT PROPULSION MEANS Filed Jun 14, 1944 C. H. SAWYER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 13, 1945. c. H. SAWYER 2,388,711

BOAT PROPULS ION MEANS Filed June 14, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor Attoreys Patented Nov. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

BOAT PROPULSION MEANS: 1 Clarence H, Sawyer, Naples Idaho Applicationflun'e 14, 1944, Serial No. 540,338

4 Claims.

The present invention relates-t the broad class of boats and marine. vessels, but hasmore Specific reference to noveland improved, propulsion means therefor.

Reduced with-greater particularity to the class to which itappertains, the invention has to do with a special arrangement and adaptation .of propellerefioats, the latter beingof general tor.- p pe and em dyin pirall i a r ng flutes functioning as screw-propellers, thesebeing employed in multiple of two orfour depending on the nature and size, of. the craftutilized and constituting satisfactory devices, foremaneuvering as well as propelling the boat through sea water.

.Novelty is predicated, in one instancaon the provision of a sheet metal corrugated or fluted float, this serving as a motiontransmitting propeller unit and having the additional fun tion of a buoyant float, whereby to also .support the body or hull slightlytabove the water-line, this with a View toward promoting speed and readily navigable maneuverability.

Another phase of apparentnove lty, resides in.

the Ways and means of disposing a complete assemblage of four propeller-floats in parallel pairs, the floats of the respective pairs being in longitudinal alignment with one another and interconnected by a shaft arrangement including universal joints, whereby said .floats arealso deployed and actuated to serve as steering and ma,- neuvering units.

Further, noveltyis thoughtto reside. in the universally connected pairs. of appropriately powered screw-type propeller-floats having. associated with the adjacent inner ends of the re.-

spective pairs, rack and pinion means, this ap.-

propriately suspended, whereby saidfloats may be laterally angled in relation to One another to achieve the aforementioned float controlled steering results.

Other features and advantages will become more readil apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a suitable type of boat or the like having propulsion means constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same.

Figure 3 is a, cross-section taken approximately on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

boat proper is denoted .by the numeralt.

Figure 4 is an enlargedtdetail. sectional..view through one endof oneof the floats, this being approximately on thelinefilml of Figure 1,.

Referring now to the drawings Icy-distinguishing-reference numerals it will be seen that the It.is understood that I do not claim novelty to exist in the boat orthe construction .of the bodysince h s ma e a aft.- ap ropriate hull o 'any str ture broadly defined as a boat: In thedrawe ings, this part 5 is shown ashaving aflat bot,- tom and the propulsion means is supportedwithe in the marginal limits thereof and depends from the underside. e

he p o er-floa s are en ted, as. s, y the numerals 5 and a descriptionof one will sufs me for all. .To thisend each float is of elonated torpedo-shape and formed from sheet metal of suitable form.,, The metal is. fashioned into a hollow corrugated shell, whereby-topmvide flutes or ribs 1, these spiralling fromend to end with the convolutions appropriately pitched or angled. The fore pair of floats, at the rightin Figure 1, have their opposite ends formed-into somewhat frusto-conical noses. The inner ends of the aft floats are also similarly fashioned and the rear ends of the last-named floats are of ap, propriate design as shown in Figure 1. The nose portions of the rear pair of floats are provided with inwardly projecting grooved sleeves 8;, the grooves of the sleeves constituting heyways for the sp n d e ds 9. of he m t o ansmit shaft-sections ID.

The stub-shafts on the nose-ends of the for- Ward pair of floats as denoted at II, have unitvers'al joint connections at l2 with complemental shafts l3 journaled in hearings in an appropriate hanger i l on the'bottorn of the boat. Theshafts l 5 on the rear ends of these particular floats join through the medium of appropriate universal connections It to the aforementioned splined shaft to. The splined shaft-i0 serves to: allow the desired slippage necessary in the functioning of the floats as steering devices, as is obvious.

At this stage I introduce the prime mover or other source of power (of any suitable type) this being denoted by the numeral [1. The propeller shaft l8 therefrom drives the power take-off shafts l9 by way of a differential construction 20 in the difierential housing. The differential housing is included in the unit 2| which serves to house both a difierential structure as well as the axles or power take-off shafts l9. These shafts terminate in bevel gears 22 operating in gearing housings 23, said bevel gears being in mesh with complemental bevel gears 24 carrying shafts connected with the propeller stub shafts 25 through the medium of suitable universal joints 26. This arrangement provides the source of power for simultaneously driving the entire set of four propellers.

The numerals 2! denote spaced parallel hanger brackets for the interconnected inner ends of the respective pairs of floats, these brackets being of the construction shown in Figure 3. That is to say, the brackets are of substantially U-shaped form and hung from the bottom of the boat and are provided with bearing and shifting slots 28 for the shaft-sections l0. As also seen in Figure 3, these shaft sections are journaled in appropriate bearings 29 on the ends of a horizontally movable rack bar 30, the latter having rack teeth 3| with which a pinion 32 has operating connection. The pinion is on a steering shaft 33 journaled for rotation in an appropriate bearing 34,

the upper end of the shaft 35 being provided with a hand-wheel or the like 36. Consequently, and with this arrangement the hand-wheel 36 serves to actuate the rack and pinion means which, in turn, shifts the adjacent ends of the rear pair of propellers laterally in relation to the longitudinal dimension of the boat. Through the medium of the universal joint and the interconnected shafts between the entire set-up of floats, it is possible to employ said floats as steering devices. Therefore, the floats serve not only as buoyant propellers and supports fo the boat but as steering units as well.

It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understanding of the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in the shape, size and arrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a structure of the class described, in combination, a boat body, a prime mover mounted thereon, a pair of longitudinally aligned hollow spirally corrugated propeller-floats, means suspending said floats from the underside of said body, an operating connection between the prime mover and an adjacent end of one of said floats including a universal joint, and operating connections between the adjacent inner ends of said floats also including universal joints, a steerin shaft having a hand-wheel, said shaft mounted on said boat, and an operating connection between the steering shaft and inner interconnected ends of said floats for either aligning or disaligning the floats to employ the same as maneuvering and steering devices.

2. In a structure of the class described, in combination, a. boat body, parallel pairs of screw-- type propeller-floats operatively suspended from the bottom of the body, the floats of the respective pairs being in longitudinal alignment with each other, a prime mover on said body, a differential structure, a propeller shaft connection between the difierential structure and prime mover, power take-oil shafts connected with the differential structure, said shafts being in alignment with one another, and operatingconnections between the outer ends of the power take-off shafts and adjacent ends of the complemental floats, said operating connections including universal joints, together with operating shaft connections between the inner ends of the floats of the respective pairs including shafts having splined connection with adjacent floats and universal joint connections with the coacting float/s.

3. In a structure of the class described, in combination, a boat body, parallel pairs of screwtype propeller-floats operatively suspended from the bottom of the body, the floats of the respective pairs being in longitudinal alignment with each other, a prime mover on said body, a differential structure, a propeller shaft connection between the differential structure and prime mover, power take-off shafts connected with the differential structure, said shafts being in alignment with one another, and operating connections between the outer ends of the power take-off shafts and adjacent ends of the complemental floats, said operating connections including universal joints, togethe with operating shaft connections between the inner ends of the floats of the respective pairs including shafts having splined connections with adjacent floats and universal joint connections with the coacting floats, a rack bar having bearings for the splined shafts, a pinion in operating connection with said rack bar, and a steering shaft connected with said pinion, said steering shaft being mounted for operation in the boat body.

4. In a structure of the class described, a boat body, a pair of parallel transversely arranged centrally positioned hanger brackets on the bottom of the boat body, said brackets being provided with slots, aligned shaft sections mounted for shifting in the slots of the respective brackets, said shafts being connected by universal joints,

a horizontal laterally shiftable rack bar having,

CLARENCE H. SAWYER. 

